Comments on: How Do Agents & Publishers Make Decisions?

By: CSS Investment

CSS Investment — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 06:19:15 +0000

Nice & WELL,there is an proverb that Failure is the stepping stone for success….

By: Suzanne Fox

Suzanne Fox — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:25:18 +0000

>As always, a clear and concise view…that doesn't pretend these aren't complex issues. Your description of an agent's educated instinct is powerful, and I think the reminder of the broader cultural context in which publishing decisions are made is helpful, too, especially as regards nonfiction books. It's tempting as an author to view your book as somehow standing outside of time and place, but of course that's never true from a reader's or publisher's perspective.

By: daniellelapaglia

daniellelapaglia — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:52:32 +0000

>I love William Goldman! Thanks for this post Rachelle. It's like trying to explain your taste in music or art. There is no easy answer, but thank you for taking the time to clue us into a few of the factors that make up the "web".

By: Lisa Jordan

Lisa Jordan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:28:00 +0000

>Trends and style affect so many consumer purchases, so it makes sense to have that be partly why certain books sell and others don't. Plus it's a subjective business.

By: Ben Campbell

Ben Campbell — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:03:22 +0000

>And, Anything knows nobody. 🙂

By: Ted Cross

Ted Cross — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:22:53 +0000

>See, this is exactly why I keep saying high fantasy is going to have a bubble shortly. Pete Jackson would have to be doing everything wrong to mess up The Hobbit movies. The best thing is that all those people will have already purchased the Tolkien books after the LOTR movies, so they'll be looking for something new. Just my opinion, but I'd bet money it's right.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:54:00 +0000

>And since the majority (according to most professionals in the industry) of books don't earn out their advances, what does that really say about the selection process?

By: CFD Trade

CFD Trade — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:34:39 +0000

>Just like what most rejection letters say, everything still boils down to being subjective.

By: Author Sandra D. Bricker

Author Sandra D. Bricker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:05:22 +0000

>I really wish I had an agent that opened with a quote from William Goldman! ... Oh, wait. I do. :-)

I think this is one of your best posts to date because it pulls the rug out from under those of us who try to make sense of everything and keep it all in corresponding boxes. The awful truth is that you can't predict anything, you can just throw things at the wall and see what sticks.

Cuz nobody knows anything.

Another quote I like (from John Lennon): Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

By: Erika Marks

Erika Marks — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:37:17 +0000

>I think one of the hardest things about being a writer trying to get published is to train ourselves not to over-analyze the market and agent/editor response to our projects. But boy, it's hard. For me, every rejection brings with it a need to "understand" the reasons, when for every agent, the reason may be different.

I always equated it to dating...When a relationship (or even a single date) didn't work out, it wasn't enough to say, Okay, that was a no-go, let's move on. I had to hash it out in my head (as I suspect most of us do!).

Of course, there is plenty to be gained from assessing our work (many rejections with the same critiques, for examples) and revising accordingly, but sometimes, there are no hard and fast answers. The key is finding a way to accept that and move forward.

By: Teenage Bride

Teenage Bride — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:13:55 +0000

>Well I suppose that what we learn form the past, can help us succeed in the future! Thanks for the clarification.

By: Susan Bourgeois

Susan Bourgeois — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:39 +0000

>You make great points. This applies to many things in life. I feel it goes back to believing in your goal, no matter what your goal is at the time.

When my husband and I first started our businesses, there were many people who were doubtful we could be successful. We started three and all were successful.

When my eldest daughter worked towards a Division I scholarship in sports, people said it couldn't happen because she came from a small town. She was awarded a full scholarship to an SEC University.

Later in life she tried out for the "The Apprentice". Against tremendous odds of up to a million, she was selected as one of the 18 candidates.

My dad used to say, "The World is Your Oyster." I still have to look that up to understand what he meant from time to time.

All of us hear and know the negativities that surround us as we
try to reach our goals in writing. If we let these negativities or listen to them, we will not reach the success that is there waiting for many of us.

I think we need to follow through with our dreams and continue to work hard until we reach success.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:55:36 +0000

>Timothy I think we're saying about the same thing… You're such a brilliant young man. 🙂

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:52:56 +0000

>If you've ever watched American Idol, you've seen the same thing...one minute the judges are telling a contestant that their music is too derivative and they should try to make it their own...the next minute the same judge is telling someone else that the song was good as originally performed and that they should have stuck with what worked.

It's not that the judges don't know what they're talking about. They do. But it's hard to articulate a reason for what is essentially gut feeling based on your skills and experience.

The bottom line is, they know good when they see it. And if they say it's good, then it's good. But the reasons they give are often meaningless.

I think the same is true with manuscripts. Agents and editors know good when they see it. But I'm not sure they really tell how they reached that conclusion.

Why is Eoin Colfer a great middle grade writer? He just is, alright... :)